Oppenheimer, Degra, and Jetrel.

Star Trek has always been a looking glass through which we see ourselves, a way of examining our world, who we are, and where we came from. Trek.fm is proud to introduce our newest show, Primitive Culture. In each episode, hosts Duncan Barrett and Tony Black tie history and culture to Star Trek and discuss how our own world inspires the franchise we love—and how that franchise inspires us. In the pilot episode, “Destroyers of Worlds,” Tony and Duncan look at the relationship between J. Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb, and two of Star Trek’s complex figures: Jetrel and Degra.

Chapters

Intro (00:00:00)Meet the Hosts (00:01:30)Morality and the Atom Bomb (00:09:45)Ma’Bor Jetrel (00:22:54)Loss of Family, Death of Children (00:28:39)Degra and Enterprise Season 3 (00:39:08)Redemption and Forgiveness (00:45:40)Final Thoughts (00:55:35)Recommended Reading (00:59:18)

Schooling in Star Trek. For Starfleet officers whose families have joined them in space, providing a well-rounded education can be a challenge. We take a look at how education is handled in Gene Roddenberry’s future.

Shrinking Sci-Fi and DS9’s “One Little Ship.” We look at some examples of shrinking in Star Trek, comparing the franchise’s tiny people to those in science fiction cinema, such as The Incredible Shrinking Man and Fantastic Voyage.

Federation Politics in Star Trek. We’re joined by Keith DeCandido, author of Articles of the Federation, for a look at Star Trek’s political structures, the Federation Council, and its three on-screen presidents.

Star Trek and Fan Fiction. We consider Star Trek's role in the cultural phenomenon of fanfic, charting its development from the 'slash' stories of the 1970s through to the vast online archives of the twenty-first century.

Anne Frank and Counterpoint. We look at the influence of The Diary of Anne Frank on Star Trek’s screenwriters, considering how science fiction handles fascist and authoritarian regimes and the role played by ordinary people in resisting oppression.